Untangling the importance of niche breadth and niche position as drivers of tree species abundance and occupancy across biogeographic regions

The disappearance of global tropical forests due to deforestation and forest degradation has reduced the biodiversity and carbon sequestration capacity. In these contexts, present study was carried out to understand the species composition and density in the undisturbed and disturbed stands of moist tropical forest located in Sunsari district of eastern Nepal. Study revealed that the forest disturbance has reduced the number of tree species by 33% and tree density by 50%. In contrary, both number and density of herb and shrub species have increased with forest disturbance.

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Damming in the Madeira River modifies the food spectrum of piscivorous and affects their resource partitioning

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-2021-0087 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Alessandra Pasian Lonardoni ◽

Cristhiana Paula Röpke ◽

Taís Melo ◽

Gislene Torrente-Vilara

Keyword(s):

Resource Partitioning ◽

Species Coexistence ◽

Niche Breadth ◽

Interspecific Interactions ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Hydroelectric Power Plant ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Stomach Fullness ◽

Congeneric Species ◽

Madeira River

Abstract Phylogenetic proximity suggests some degree of diet similarity among species. Usually, studies of diet show that species coexistence is allowed by partitioning food resources. We evaluate how visually oriented piscivorous fishes (Characiformes) share prey before and after building the Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) in the Madeira River (Brazil), the largest muddy-water tributary of the Amazon River. Piscivorous species (Acestrorhynchus falcirostris, Acestrorhynchus heterolepis, Hydrolycus scomberoides, and Rhaphiodon vulpinus) were sampled under pristine (pre-HPP) and disturbed (post-HPP) environmental conditions. We analyzed species abundance and stomach contents for stomach fullness and prey composition to check variations between congeneric and non-congeneric species. The percent volume of prey taxa was normalized by stomach fullness and grouped into the taxonomic family level to determine diet, niche breadth, and overlap. Only R. vulpinus abundance increased in post-HPP. There was no significant variation in niche breadth between the periods, while niche overlap decreased in congeneric and non-congeneric species. Our results indicate that river impoundment affected piscivorous fishes in distinct ways and modified their resource partitioning. Therefore, evaluate interspecific interactions is a required tool to understand how fishes respond to river damming.

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Diversity of Tree Species in Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Asian Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry ◽

10.9734/ajraf/2021/v7i430140 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 67-72

Author(s):

P. C. Nnadi ◽

B. B. Otene ◽

Nwiisator David-Sarogoro

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Tree Species ◽

Dominant Species ◽

Species Abundance ◽

State University ◽

University Campus ◽

Management Interventions ◽

Port Harcourt ◽

Pinus Spp ◽

Rivers State

This study was carried out to examine the distribution of plant species in Rivers State University campus at different locations at the Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Port Harcourt Nigeria. The general objective of this study was to examine the Ecological distribution of plant species in Rivers State University campus at different locations. The specific objective was to determine the species abundance of various plants in the study area and also to examine the ecological diversity of tree species in the various groups. The study area was divided into three groups (stations) with the various plants species identified and recorded. Data gotten from the field was analyzed using descriptive statistic and some ecological indices such as Margalef, Mehinick, Shannon diversity, Shannon Wiener, Evenness/Equitability and Simpson dominance. A total of one thousand Sixty-nine (1069) individual plant were identified with 16, 17 and 12 species in stations 1-3 respectively. The highest individual plants (561) were observed in station 1 while the least (87) were observed in station 3. The mean values of stations 1 and 2 were significantly and statistically different from site 3 at p<0.05. The results obtained showed some dominant species to include Elaeis guincensis, Polyaithia longifolia, Pinus spp, Gmelina arborea, Wodyetia bifareata, Citrus sinensis, Cocos nuciferia while others were the least dominant species found in the study area. The Margalef, Mehinicks and Shannon Wiener values were consistently highest in station 2 but lowest in station 3. Human disturbances had negative impact on tree species abundance especially in site 3. It is therefore recommended that management interventions are necessary in other to stop indiscriminate felling of the various trees species that made up the different groups.

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Extrapolation methods for climate time series revisited – Spatial correlations in climatic fluctuations influence simulated tree species abundance and migration

Ecological Complexity ◽

10.1016/j.ecocom.2014.02.006 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 315-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Julia E.M.S. Nabel ◽

James W. Kirchner ◽

Natalie Zurbriggen ◽

Felix Kienast ◽

Heike Lischke

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Tree Species ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Extrapolation Methods ◽

Spatial Correlations ◽

Climatic Fluctuations ◽

And Migration ◽

Climate Time Series

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INVENTÁRIO FLORESTAL PARA ADEQUAÇÃO AMBIENTAL DA FAZENDA SANTA RITA, MUNICÍPIO DE SANTARÉM, ESTADO DO PARÁ

FLORESTA ◽

10.5380/rf.v40i3.18920 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

Author(s):

João Ricardo Vasconcellos Gama ◽

Josiel Carneiro Pinheiro

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Forest Inventory ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Sample Plot ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Environmental Suitability ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Level Ii ◽

Level I

O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido objetivando inventariar um fragmento florestal e indicar espécies arbóreas para a recuperação das áreas de reserva legal e preservação permanente da Fazenda Santa Rita, localizada na zona rural do município de Santarém, estado do Pará. Foram lançadas sistematicamente 18 parcelas de 20 x 50 m (1000 m²), totalizando uma área amostral de 18.000 m². Cada parcela foi dividida em dois níveis de inclusão: Nível I de inclusão, subparcela de 20 m x 25 m e mensuração de todas as árvores com DAP ≥ 10 cm e Nível II de inclusão, em parcelas de 20 x 50 m e medição de todas as árvores com DAP ³ 45 cm. Identificou-se 70 espécies e 33 famílias botânicas. As famílias que apresentaram maior riqueza de espécies foram: Lecythidaceae e Mimosaceae (7), Caesalpiniaceae e Sapotaceae (5) e Lauraceae (4). Estas famílias contribuíram com 40% das espécies amostradas, confirmando-se que poucas famílias botânicas representam grande parte da riqueza de espécies arbóreas em florestas de terra-firme.Palavras-chave: Inventário florestal; adequação ambiental; Amazônia. AbstractForest inventory for environmental adjustment in the Santa Rita farm, located in the County of Santarém, State of Pará, Brazil. This study was carried out aiming to identify a forest fragment and indicate tree species for recovering legal reserve and permanent conservation areas of the Santa Rita Farm. Eighteen sample plots, measuring 20 x50m each, were systematically distributed, totaling a sample area of 18.000 m². Each sample plot was divided into two levels. Level I: sub-plots of 20 x 25m, where all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm were measured; Level II: plots of 20 x 50 m, where all trees with DAP ³ 45 cm were measured. A total of 70 tree species and 33 botanical families were identified. Families that presented higher number of species were: Lecythidaceae and Mimosaceae (7), Caesalpiniaceae and Sapotaceae (5) and Lauraceae (4). These families contributed with 40% of the species, confirming that few families represent a large part of the of tree species abundance in the Amazon high-land forests.Keywords: Forest inventory; environmental suitability; Amazon.

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Ecologic salience and agreement on the identification of tree species from Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/s1676-06032010000100007 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 77-84 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Natalia Hanazaki ◽

Rogério Mazzeo ◽

Alexandre Romariz Duarte ◽

Vinícius Castro Souza ◽

Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Local Knowledge ◽

Tree Species ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Average Height ◽

Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽

Community Based ◽

Botanical Species ◽

Community Based Conservation ◽

High Diversity

This study aims to investigate the consensus among informants in the naming of tree species from a high diversity environment, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Sete Barras, SP), through a methodological procedure based on standardized stimuli. Seven selected local experts on tree species used for timber and handicrafts were asked to walk individually across the same area of 1.72 ha and identify and name all the known trees of more than 4 cm DBH (diameter at breast height) using common names. All trees were botanically identified, and their DBH and height were measured. The ecologic salience of tree species, expressed in terms of abundance, average height and DBH, was tested in relation to the informants' knowledge and species naming. The guided walks resulted on 708 identification events, with common names corresponding to 122 botanical species, or 68% of all tree species present. Both the reduced abundance and ecological salience of rare species can explain their recognition. The highest concordances in naming a tree were related only to the species abundance and not to their size (given by diameter and height). In some cases, there is no single common name for a botanical species, reflecting the intrinsic variation in local knowledge, which must be considered in ethnobotanical studies, in ecological assessments based on local knowledge, as well as in community-based conservation and management programs.

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Species Abundance, Niche Position, and Niche Breadth for Five Terrestrial Animal Assemblages

Ecology ◽

10.2307/1937704 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 816-818 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Steven W. Seagle ◽

Gary F. McCracken

Keyword(s):

Niche Breadth ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Terrestrial Animal

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Influence of frugivore activity on the species abundance of seedlings and saplings in a lowland tropical forest in Colombia

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467415000164 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 291-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Natalia Norden ◽

Pablo R. Stevenson

Keyword(s):

Seed Size ◽

Tree Species ◽

Census Data ◽

Critical Role ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Total Variance ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Species Identity ◽

Related Factors ◽

Recruitment Success

Abstract:Although seed dispersal plays a critical role for plant regeneration, the long-term benefits of frugivores for recruitment success have been poorly explored. We evaluated the relative importance of tree species abundance and of frugivore-related factors for successful plant recruitment on 18 tree species in a lowland Colombian rain forest. We combined census data from four 1-ha plots of trees (>10 cm dbh), saplings (1–5 cm dbh) and seedlings (<1.7 m) with a dataset describing tree–frugivore interactions. Seedling abundance was higher for large-seeded species dispersed by the spider monkey, while sapling abundance was higher for large-seeded species dispersed by birds. The identity of the dispersal agent and its interaction with seed size explained 20–30% of the total variance in seedling and sapling abundance across scales. Seed size consistently influenced the species abundance of seedlings and saplings across scales, but in opposite ways. These developmental changes suggest that what is beneficial to seedlings is not necessarily beneficial to saplings. Species identity explained 10–50% of the total variance in seedling and sapling abundance among and within 1-ha plots. Overall, our findings suggest that recruitment success is context-dependent as the relative importance of the different variables addressed may shift along spatial and temporal scales.

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